One of the biggest beauty features that we as women worry about on the daily is our hair—but it's also one of things we strain the most. From coloring and heat styling to teasing and product overuse, our locks take a beating. Take our advice and stop doing these five damaging habits below!

Using a brush after you shower (or roughly towel drying!).

Hair is at it's highest elasticity (and weakest) when wet and the last thing you want to do is brush it or towel dry. Instead, use your fingers or a wide tooth comb to work out any tangles.

Washing your hair every day.

Guilty as charged over here! Some of us just don't have fab second-day hair. But even for us fine haired girls, washing every day can strip away natural oils (a.k.a. that not so hot greasiness) and actually make our hair look even more limp. If you're feeling a bit greasy too, you're probably using too much conditioner. Try stretching your washings to every 2-3 days and using dry shampoo in between. I swear by this one.

Neglecting to use a clarifying shampoo and deep conditioner.

Clarifying sha-what?This article from The Everygirl will tell you everything you need to know about clarifying your hair. And unless you're completely avoiding any coloring or heat styling, it's a good idea to use a deep conditioner (or hair oil) on a regular basis.

Forgetting to use heat protectant.

If you're not using a heat protectant before blow drying or using hot tools, start asap! Heat can wreak so much havoc on our hair. This one is great and I also love this oil for keeping frizziness at bay.

Using (very, very) hot tools.

Not only does the temperature of your hot tools matter (never go above 400 degrees!) but the length of time matters too. This article from Marie Claire nails it. The comparison of microwaving vs. baking is so true. Give yourself a bit more time to curl or straighten (or dry!) at a lower temperature for longer lasting, healthier results.